God is revealed in every person we meet…from the margins, to the web

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Set us free, O God, from the bondage of our sins, and give us the liberty of that abundant life which you have made known to us in your Son our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Mark 1:29-39

After Jesus and his disciples left the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. Now Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told him about her at once. He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up. Then the fever left her, and she began to serve them.

That evening, at sundown, they brought to him all who were sick or possessed with demons. And the whole city was gathered around the door. And he cured many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him. In the morning, while it was still very dark, he got up and went out to a deserted place, and there he prayed. And Simon and his companions hunted for him. When they found him, they said to him, “Everyone is searching for you.” He answered, “Let us go on to the neighboring towns, so that I may proclaim the message there also; for that is what I came out to do.” And he went throughout Galilee, proclaiming the message in their synagogues and casting out demons.

Co-authors: Dale and Sarah

Dale and I sat together in the chapel as we opened up this Gospel lesson together. I hadn’t spent a lot of time talking with Dale until today; he is the friend of several others who attend Red Door lunch and healing service regularly. We’ve exchanged pleasant hellos but we hadn’t really talked. Today, our bible study numbers were a bit uneven, so I filled in at the last minute. What a blessing that serendipitous decision turned out to be!

As we began, Dale asked if I would do the reading since his eyesight kept him from being able to read out loud. I noticed, even from the intent way that he listened to the Gospel, that he was hearing every word with a clarity most of us miss.

“I like that reading, I do” said Dale. “I didn’t get that part before but this time I heard that James and John were there too. Jesus was there, but the others, they had God’s word there with them. I wonder, did they have power or something, like Jesus, to heal?

“That’s a great question, Dale! I hadn’t even picked up on that. Jesus does say at other times to his disciples that they have the power to heal, that Jesus gives others the power to heal in His name. You know, I think about that a lot. On Fridays here, when we have the healing prayer service, that’s something that is powerful to me when I say it each week before we offer prayers together in Jesus’ name. I don’t have the power to heal. It’s not like that, like a magic power or something, but when we hold a healing prayer service we pray together because we have been told that there is healing in God. I’m not in charge of that healing: giving, or receiving healing. But healing is there with us when we are gathered together because God is with us. So, when we stand together, when I pray with people, it’s in the presence of that healing that God is made known to us.”

“You know, I believe that” said Dale. He continued, “…because back in 2012, when I lost my eyesight from glaucoma, I was blind totally for about 18 months. I went to the eye doctor and he said there wasn’t much hope. I was imagining never seeing again, learning to read braille and stuff. Then the doctor said, ‘there is this surgery, but its really 50/50 whether it will work or not.’ But, I thought, ‘I’m already blind, what do I have to lose?” So, I had the surgery, but then there was nothing. Six months went by, nothing. Then one day I thought I saw light starting to come in. So I started to pray, not begging but just feeling thankful to see light again. And other people, they started to pray for me. And always, those prayers were in the name of Jesus Christ.”

“That’s wonderful!” I said, “I think about that whenever we pray. I may pray, I may ask, but we are asking in the name of Jesus Christ who is with us all.”

“Praying, you know, it’s like blessing. We get blessed, we feel blessed. But it isn’t about that. It’s about passing along that blessing, that is also in Jesus’ name.”

Something else stood out for me, too. “I keep going back to this part…about Simon’s mother…who is healed and then gets up and starts serving everyone. At first I want to say, “hey, let the poor woman rest!” and then I thought about it. She chooses to serve. That is a show of love, a gift of family and community. That is an action of thanksgiving and grace. We can never say ‘thank you’ enough for our healing so we do what we do best: we serve as healed people, showing our thanks to God.”

Dale nodded. “You’re right, because her way of serving, her way of saying thank you was to keep serving. I’m just like her. I wake up and keep seeing God. My eyesight isn’t all back, but it is clear enough now that I can see light. When I wake up, I say thank you God, because that light makes me know that God is there in that healing. And then I want to get out, and to serve others.”

“It’s like our thanks, our blessing, our healing are all together” continued Dale. “I don’t know which is the right word to use. But maybe they are all part of the same thing.”

I thought about this.

Dale went on, “Maybe this blessing falls to us, because it is so present with us. I ask myself, ‘how do I live into this blessing, this healing’ and I see that here in this place. Here, there are a whole lot of people who feel shame and hunger and think they will be looked down on. But they come here, and there is healing, and there is food, but there is also spiritual healing where we are fed. I’m surprised sometimes by who I see come into that service. But you are never surprised…you just show love to everyone. I see that in you.”

I felt myself smiling; I was blessed by hearing this, but I knew the story was deeper than Dale probably realized. So, it was my turn to share. “You know, Dale, there was a time that I was one of those people who was least likely to come into a church. You see, I was mad, angry. Really angry. Then, one day I decided to just go to a church not because I had to but because I wanted to…actually because I wanted to sing. And that day, the clergy person seemed to just look right at me. Instead of feeling judged, I heard him say, “All are welcome…you are welcome.” I felt that in my entire soul. I knew that welcome came from more than just that person; that welcome was from God. That welcome was God. And in that welcome is where I found healing from all that anger. Slow, just like your eyesight! But gradually, the light comes back in and we are filled with thankfulness and gratitude. So, I want to live into that now. I know there are people every week who come here feeling broken, angry, and not welcome. I know exactly how that feels. So, I stand in that place of healing I have known, and I pray. My prayer is always that I can offer up that healing and welcome to others, too.”

“I notice that too” said Dale, “when you all say the prayers, you always say that at the beginning. You know you are welcome, you can be here just as you are. Welcome is a gift, and a blessing. Welcome is healing. You know, I’m glad this was our lesson today”

A Faith from the Margins to the Web bible study for the First Sunday after Christmas, Year B

Contributing Authors: Sheryl and Alisha

Almighty God, you have poured upon us the new light of your incarnate Word: Grant that this light, enkindled in our hearts, may shine forth in our lives; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

John 1:1-18

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.

He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.

And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth. (John testified to him and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks ahead of me because he was before me.'”) From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father’s heart, who has made him known.

“Well, first thing I will say is that I know there’s God,” said Sheryl, “I’m a witness and I will give testimony to that!”

“I know!” said Alisha, “Me, too. I’ve been seeing Him work through other people, and that makes you want to seek Him for yourself.”

Alisha and Sheryl spent many hours a week in the same setting but they had never met; one was a student and the other a part-time service worker, nearing retirement, in the same University. They had both come to Red Door that Friday for bible study and lunch, just to be a part of this project which intrigued them. Within seconds, it was clear that they had far more in common than anything that divided them. It was also clear that what stood out the most in this Gospel for both of them was love. As Alisha described it, “the Love given so freely by God.”

Sheryl added, “another word that stands out for me is peace. It took me so long to get to a place where I could feel peace, but now I’m beginning to really feel that…it only took 58 years!” she joked.

“But, once you have that peace, you never want to let go of that!” Alisha agreed.

Alisha continued, “I appreciate the part where John acknowledges who he is and who he is not. He isn’t the light, but he comes to be a witness and testimony to the light. I think that’s what we are all called to be: lights in a dark world.”

“Amen!” echoed Sheryl, “and I do try to do that. It’s why people call me ‘Grandma Sheryl” because I try to always have a kind word, a good word for people who need it. And, it feels good because I show love, and I feel love. Everyone comes to me for prayer, ‘please pray for me’ they ask, the young and old. That’s a beautiful thing.”

“That is beautiful!” said Alisha. “I’ve been trying to read the Bible and pray more, and I’m starting to feel that peace, too. So many people are going crazy, feeling so lost with all that’s going on with the president, with the world. They start to feel hopeless.”

That warmed Sheryl’s heart: “I love hearing that from you, the younger ones! I always tell my children, if you can stay with the positives, you won’t be following the crowd, you’ll be leading with love. And they are leaders, just like you!”

“It’s hard” said Alisha, “Sometimes I’m the one person out, who isn’t like the rest, but then I remind myself I know who I live for. What I get from living for God is greater than the criticism I get from others. It helps me to see Christians who really live into it, though, instead of people who want judge.”

“Only God can judge” said Sheryl, “you tell them even Tupac said that!” she added as they both laughed.

Alisha added, “I like this part: ‘We all have received grace, grace upon grace.’ God gives us grace every day. It isn’t because we deserve it, or just for people we like…it’s a message for everyone.”

“The world can feel hopeless, but it isn’t hopeless,” Sheryl chimed in as well, “People get despondent, like over Trump in the white house, but we have to remember God is over him, too! And we have to pray for everyone. We have to pray for him, too. People forget that but maybe that means he needs prayer most of all!”

As their study together came toward a close, Alisha and Sheryl named the words where they see God:

“I see God through my Children and Grand-children.” said Sheryl. “I pray and give my thanks to God every day and every night. I keep a grateful spirit and use my words to pray to God.”

Alisha said, “My word would be ‘service’ because when I see people who live into their faith, who prepare meals and help others, and do work to make their communities a better place, that is how I see and know God.”

The wisdom of the ages flowed between this pairing of a college student and Grandma to the community as they shared their stories of church-going, struggles, favorite foods and family stories. Love comes to unite us, to bring peace, to dispel the dimness of our vision with the hope of eternal light and life: “I love our conversation!” Alisha said at the close, “I told you, everyone comes to Grandma!” added Sheryl.